Can opener



. H. GARRISQN CAN OPENER Filed July 19, 1927 F b m Patented Mala-27,1928.

UNITED STATES HERMAN GARRISON,- OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed July 19, 1927.

The object of this invention is to establish the practicability of using a longer knife than is at present manufactured on a can opener of the ordinary type, which comprises a handle, a stock fitted thereto, and terminating with a guiding fulcrum adapted to engage the crimp of a can, and a downwardly offset uppercut knife extending forward past the fulcrum.

If the knife is to be lengthened, it must be sharpened on the lower margin to assist in insertion; it must be curved to conformto the circular contour of the can; and it should have a blunt upper margin on that part which projects beyond the guiding fulcrum. so as to afford a fulcrum for prying the blade backward and downward into the can after penetration has been effected.

Fig. 1 is a side view, showing the stock A fitted to a handle and knife B riveted to the stock. The upper and lower cutting edges are indicated by double lines.

Fig. 2 is a partial top plan view, showing the stock A bent aside to form the fulcrum member D. and the lateral curvature of the knife B also the wing P, which affords the fulcrum above referred to for pryinglthe blade into the can, and which also performs another very important function to he explained later.

Fig. 3 is a front end view of the stock showing the face of the. fulcrum member D, and the notch E, which forms the guiding fulcrum.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7,. 8 and 9 will be used in explaining the structure and use of the wing or plate P, and are enlarged views of the same, being on a scale of 3 to 1 with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. 10 and 11 are introduced to illustrate a certain difficulty encountered in consequence of the lateral curvature of the knife.

The essential feature of this invention is the transverse plate P, whose structure and function will now be explained.

Fig. is a top plan view of the plate P, and Fig. 5 a side view of the same.

The terminal part of the knife can be formed by taking a sheet of metal shown in Fig. 6, and bending it at a right angle on the line M-N. The part that lies below that line will form the plate P.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the knife through the line 77 of Fig. 4.

If it be deemed desirable to afford a cut the only disadvantage.

Serial No. 206,892.

ting edge on the outer or convex side of the plate, the section shown in Fig. 7 will pear as in Fig. 8. Thismight add somewhat to the facility of inserting the knife, but would detract from simplicity in manufacture, as illustrated by Fig. 6.

Still another possible variation in the manner of attaching the plate consists in extending it horizontally from the concave wall of the blade below the sun'n'nit, in. which case the section exhibited in Fig. 7 will ap pear as represented by Fig. 9. This would give no advantage, but would attain the result sought, which is to prescnt'a transverse terminal cutting edge.

In order to use a lengthened knife on a circular can, it is absolutely necessary to give it a lateral. curvature. at least to the extent of deflecting the tip toward the center of the can. This done, we meet with a serious obstacle inthe process of inserting the point. of the knife into the can. Tn using openers of this type, the handle is thrust vertically downward to effect penetration. This can not be done with the curved knife. The point must be perpendicular to the surface of the can, and the knife must assume tbe position of Fig. 10, which is a diagrammatic representation of a can in axial section, and of the knife and part ofthe stock A. Since the pressure applied through the handle will be exerted in the direction of the stock, it is evident that a. large component of it will beneutralized. But this loss is not 7 If the operator were in the position indicated by the arrow X, facing the concave side of the blade, the process of inserting the point would occasion. no inconvenience beyond the loss of power referred to, but as a matter of fact he will be in the position indicated by the arrow Y, and will be obliged to push sideways instead of forward. A. decidedly awkward twist of the hand will be required to produce penetration.

The specific objeet'of this invention is to remove the difliculty thus described.

This object is accon'lplished by constructing the plate P. as a result of which the cutting edge or edges at the tip of the knife will be transverse to those on the body of the blade. The blade being constructed of ma terial having sufficient strength to resist bending, the point may be driven into the can by thrusting the instrument vertically downward, as illustrated by Fig. l1, the

. of its length-and 'provided withaniadditional'icuttinged eon itslower.m-argin; and the I tip of said .rnife' being surmounted by a "formed'by a-recess at theend'ofahandled "being,lz'rterally curved'in the direction of its transverse plate, said plate "being provided with .a piercing point, and said piercing point being identical with the terminal point of the knife.

2. A can opener in th'eform of a lever of the second class, havinga guidingfulcruin formed by a recessat the end o'f'a handled stock, "and a downwardly offset uppercut 'kni'fesecured to said stock and extending forward past the guiding fulcrum; said knife being laterally curved in thefdirection of its length and providedwith an addition alcutting e'dge on its lower margin; "and the terminal part of said *knife, which projects "beyond the-guiding fulcrum, being provided with a wing extending laterally from theinner face of the knife and terminating forwardly'in a piercing point coincidentwith the pointed end of thekni'fe.

*8; A can'opener in the 'form ofialever'of the second class,"having'aguiding fulcrum stock, and -a downwardly'joifset uppereut kni'fe'secured tosaid stock and extending forward past'the guidingfuleruln ;-said knife "length and provided'with an additional cutting edge on itsdower margin; andthe up per cutting edgeibeing terminated at a 10- "cation'remote from tl16"pOiI1t LOf the knife, and being'thence succeeded'by a blunt upper of the knife.

Wall formed in part by .a 'win extending from "the anterior part of the ody of the "knife on the inner side of the directional curve rthereof said :wing being provided with a lateral and terminal cutting edge.

4. A can opener in the form of a lever of the second class, having a guiding fulcrum formed by arecess at the end of a handled stock, and a downwardly ofl'setuppercut knife secured to said stock and :extendin forward past the guiding fulcrum; said knifebeing'laterally curvedin the direction of its length and provided with anadditiona1 cutting edge on" its lowermargin; theupprod being attached to" the upright portion of the knife on that side'whieh :facessthe.

directional-curve center of curvature of: the

5. A can opener int-11c fornr of a lever of thesecond class, having a guiding *fulcnum formed by a recess at'the end of ahan'dled stock, and-1a "downwardly ofiset uppercut knife secured to said stock and extenlding forward past the guiding fulcrum; said knife being laterally 'curved in the (ll18CtlO1'lj#Of .its length -=and provided with an ;:ad ditional :cuttingedge on its lower margin; and the terminal part of the knife being: provided with a lateral cutting edge distinct fromithe upper and lower cutting edges, said lateral euttin edge being continuous with the cutting e gewatx the ext-reme point ofthe knife andrbeing formed 'on' the 1 margin of a 1 transverse plate having BWldth' of greater magnitude than the! thickness of the knife.

HERMAN GARRISGN. 

